From Informality to New Economies

Financial inclusion efforts have expanded access to accounts, but not necessarily to meaningful economic use—particularly for SMEs operating across informal and emerging creative economies. Many businesses generate steady income through diverse and increasingly digitized channels—project-based work, platform earnings, and cross-border services—yet these cash flows remain largely unrecognized in traditional lending models. As economies evolve toward new, creative, and digital sectors, long-standing patterns of informality are not disappearing, but rather reshaping into new forms of economic activity that remain outside formal finance. In smaller economies, these dynamics are further amplified by limited domestic markets and reliance on external demand.

This roundtable explores what it takes to move from informality to new economies—focusing on how financing approaches, data frameworks, and financial infrastructure must adapt to better capture non-traditional income streams and support emerging business models. The discussion will examine how to transition from basic inclusion to meaningful participation, ensuring that SMEs in both informal and creative sectors can access finance, scale their activities, and contribute to jobs, trade, and economic diversification.